The present invention relates in general to preventing debris, rocks, stones, pebbles and the like from falling off a truck and possibly creating an unsafe road condition, more particularly, to a catching device for attachment to the rear of a truck. The catcher of this invention is an improvement over the conventional tarp and diverters found on trucks and particularly dump trucks.
With the conventional devices, a truck, for example, a dump truck, typically carries a tarp for covering whatever is being hauled in the truck bed. A tarp is a best only marginally effective. Conventional tarpaulin covers primarily keep down dust and are not particularly effective to keep even small stones or pebbles from falling out or being tossed out of the truck bed onto the road or highway.
Another drawback associated with present truck and particularly dump truck design is the addition of a funnel, diverter or pour plate attached at the rear of the truck bed and used to direct whatever is being removed from the truck bed into the desired area. These devices also provide a conduit to direct any debris on the rear of the truck directly onto the roadway and into the path of any following vehicle.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a debris catcher that is adapted for attachment to the rear of a truck. With the debris catcher of this invention it is expected that stones, pebbles, and other debris remaining on a rear portion of the truck bed or slipping or falling through the lift gate seal will be captured and kept from falling onto the road surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a debris catcher that is constructed to provide a relatively standard device that can be applied to a variety of truck and truck bed designs.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a debris catcher that is adapted to collect a substantial portion of any debris left on the exterior truck bed structure as the truck is driven from one location to another.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a debris catcher that may be readily emptied by the truck operator. The debris catcher of this invention is preferably unfastened from the truck tail gate and the collected debris allowed to spill out.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a debris catcher that can be easily removed and replaced. The basic construction of this invention is adapted to make it easy for the truck owner or operator to replace the catcher before it completely wears out or is otherwise rendered useless.